Ironing machine



Jan. 21, 1930. N. Tn'olsl momma MACHINE Filed Dec: 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 NVENTOR %M%n ATTORNEYS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 52mm fizwrfi ATTORNEY 5- Patented Jan. 21, 1930 NICHOLAS, 'rnorsr, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

IRONING MACHINE I Application fil ed December 7, 1928. Serial Il'o. 324,422.

My invention relates to a new and improved ironing machine. A Y One of the objects of my invention is to .provide an ironing machine which is espe- 6 cially adapted for ironing the seam portions of garments, such as sleeves and the like.

Another object of my invention is to provide an ironing machine especially adapted for this purpose employing improved means for supplying 'moisture to the part to be ironed. j i

Another object of my invention is to provide a simple machine which can be readily used by inexperienced operators.

1 Anotherobject of my invention is to pro vide a machine which can be conveniently set so as to permit the introduction of a fresh piece of work to be ironed.

Other objects of my invention will be set forth in the following description and draw- .ings which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof, it being understood that the above general statement of the objects of my invention is intended merely to generally explain the same and not to limit it in any manner.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation.

Fig. 2 is a plan view.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line 33 of Fig. 2.

4 is a sectional view .on the line 4.-4

of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the circuit of the motor and the electric iron.

The machine has a frame 1 on the underside of which there is a treadle 2 having a rope 3 passing around pulley 4. Rope 3 actuates lever 5 pivoted to the frame of the machine at 6. The machine is provided with a narrow work-table 7 which forms part of the frame of the machine. A belt 8 passes over the table. The belt 8 has an upper run and a lower run which pass over a front pulley 9 and a rear pulley 10. The rear pulley 10 is ,on the shaft of an electric motor M. The electric motor M is provided with a starting box 12 having the usual switch-arm 14. The switch-arm can either be actuated by hand, or by means of a treadle 15 which is pose the heating coil 19 and the motor Mare connected in series. Hence when the arm 14 is in the upper position, no current is supplied to elther the motor or the 'flatiron.

Likewise, increased current is simultaneously supplied to the motor M and to the heating coil 19. A safety-switch 17 is provided for cutting off the supply of current. lVhen it is desired to start the operation of the machine, the motor M can be operated without feeding any work to the machine, until the fiatiron 19 has been raised to the proper temperature.

As shown in Fig. 6, the heating coil 19 of the fiatiron may be supplied with a variable shunt. Hence if the current which passes through the motor is too high, the heating coil of the flatiron can be protected by the use of the shunt 19 The flatiron 19 is connected to or integral with the collar 20 which is also connected to or integral with the water-pot 21. The water pot 21 has a filling spout 22. Wicks 23 protrude from the pot 21, the supply of water to said wicks being controlled by a valve 24. These wicks press upon a roller 25 whose outer surface is made of some absorbent material such as suitable cloth, felt, or the like. If the wicks 23 were caused to directly contact with the portionof the fabric article to be moistened, it would be difficult to secure sufiicient pressure of said wicks against the article, because said wicks, being made of soft absorbent material, are necessarily yielding. However, the wicks merely serve to'supply moisture to the absorbent material on the periphery of the moistening roller 25. -Hence, the roller 25 can be forced with greater pressure against the work than if ordinary wicks a moistening device having a rigid core, since it would be an equivalent to utihze a moistening device com rising absorbent material solely and direct y applied to the work, and having greater rigidity than the ordinary wick or sponge. It has been proposed to confine a wick or sponge in a metal tube or chamber, but, in order to practically use such a device with any substantial pressure, it was necessary to cause the ed e of said tube or chamber to contact with tie work, which is highly undesirable when there is a relative movement between the work and the moistening device. According to my invention, .the absolpbent material alone is applied to the wor The trunnions of the roller 25 are connected upon a frame-piece 26 which is either inte ral with or connected to the collar 20. The re ler 25 is pressed upon the belt 8 or upon a piece of cloth located upon the belt 8 with only sufiicient force to moisten the work. It is preferable to make the arm 26 springy or resilient so that the moistening device can be pressed down on the work with any desired force, in front of the iron' 19.

, The flatiron and pot are given a vertical up and down movement by means of a pair 0 arms 27 pivotally-connected to the pot 28 and a second pair of arms 27 pivotally connected to the collar 28".

The arms 27 are pivotally connected at 29 to a frame projection 30 which remains fixed. The arms 27 are pivotally-connected at 29 to the frame. The pair of arms 27, and the pair of arms 27*, provide a parallel motion whereby the flatiron 19 and the water-pot, etc. are moved up and down vertically. A tension spring 31 tends to force the flatiron 19 downwardly with suflicient pressure. The

upper end of this tension spring 31 is connected to the member 33 which forms a bellcrank extension of one of the arms 27". The lower end of the s ring 31 is connected to the frame of the mac ine. Upon actuating the lever 5, additional force can be exerted upon the associated lever 27 to supply additional pressure to the flatiron. It Wlll be noted that the arms 27 and 27 constitute a parallel motion device whereby the flatiron 19 is moved towards the work-table and away therefrom while its underside remains substantially horizontal.

When the pot is raised by the hand-hold 32, the member 33 is moved beyond the vertical position, so that the tens1on spring 31 then acts to upwardly throw the flatiron and kee it in the upper position. The line of actlon of the tension spring 31 is close-to the pivot point 29 so that a very slight raising of the arms 27" in unison with arms 27 is sufficient to throw the line of action of the so that the flatiron 19, the water-pot 21, and

the parts associated therewith are moved upwar ly and held in the upper position. The operator then introduces any suitable part of a garment, such as a sleeve S, over the narrow table 7 so that the upper part of the sleeve containing the seam is acted upon by the flatiron 19.

As shown in Fig. 5, the front end of the table 7 is provided with a plate 7 made of any smooth metal.

he upper run of the belt 8 fits in a suitable groove in the saidtop plate 7 The sleeve S is fed by the upper run of the belt 8, inthe position shown inFig. 5, so that said sleeve passes over the front part of the table and as shown in Fig. 5, the iron 19 is wider than the belt 8, and said iron 19 is also wider than the groove in the top plate 7 This construction acts as an automatic stop to limit the pressure with which the iron may be applied to.the seam,because if the iron ispressed down too hard, it contacts withthe unreces sed portion of the top plate 7 The operator can then press upon the treadle 2 so as to move the bell-crank extension 33 tothe position shown in Fig. 1. The

belt now operates to forwardly feed the article to be ironed, this being suitably moistened by the roller 25, upon the seam thereof,

before it is acted upon by the hot flatiron 19.

While the article is being ironed, the operator can press upon the treadle 2 to supply additional pressure to the flatiron. After the article has been ironed, the operator pushes upwardly upon the hand-hold 32 so as to raise the flatiron and the associated parts. If desired, the same article can be ironed two or more times. Likewise, the operation of the motor can be stopped at any time by merely releasing the control treadle 15 which is directly adjacent the pressure treadle 2.

The belt 8 can be made of canvas or other material provided with a rough surface, or with suitable projections so that it will positively gri the underside of the sleeve or the like, and cod it forwardly. Since the underside of the flatiron' is smooth, the pressure of the flatiron will offer little or no frictional resistance to the movement of the article S,

which is produced by the upper run of the belt 8. It is not intended that the spring 31 should cause the fiatiron 19 to press with considerable force upon the work. This pressure would ordinarily be applied by the hand of the operator, exerted upon the member 32, or by means of the treadle 2. The operator will readily learn the proper pressure to be applied upon the work. It is likewise clear that the operator can manipulate the member 32, so as to intermittently apply the flatiron 19 with the necessary pressure to the work. 4

While I have shown a complete operative machine, certain of the sub-combinations shown therein could be used independentlyof the other parts in the complete machine illustrated.

Likewise, while I have shown the ironing device 19 and the moistening device 25 being operated simultaneously, it is not necessary to operate them during precisely the same interval as long as the moistening device is moved away from the work-table when the ironing device is moved away by manipulation of any-suitable part.

I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, but it is clear that numerous changes and additions can be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In an ironing machine, the sub-combination of a work-table, an ironing device associated with said work-table, said ironing device being movable towards said work table and away therefrom, moistening means comprising a water receptacle which is movable towards and away from said work-table simultaneously with said ironing device, said moistening means including an absorbent moistening member having a rigid core, said moistening member being connected with said water receptacle, and being movable in unison with said ironing device so that said moistening member contacts with and feeds moisture to the work only when said ironing device is pressed against the work, means adapted to urge said moistening member against the work, and feeding means adapted to feed the work along said work-table, said moistening member projecting in front of the iron so that the Work is moistened before it is ironed.

2. In an ironing machine, a'work-table, an ironing device movably mounted with respect to said work-table,means adapted to actuate said ironing device toward said work table and away therefrom, and a moistening device for the work comprising a turnable moistening wheel having a rigid core and an outer absorbent face, and means adapted to urge said moistening device against thework to be ironed. 3: In an ironing machine, a'work table, an ironing device movably mounted with respect to said work-table, means adapted to actuate said ironing device towards said work-tableand away therefrom,

and a moistening device for the work having a rigid core and an outer absorbent face, and means adapted to urge its associated parts towards said work-table,-

the line ofaction of said tension spring belng sufiiciently close to the pivot of said arm to cause said tension'spring to upwardly hold the before mentioned parts when they are raised a short distance.

5. In an ironing machine, a work-table, an endless belt associated therewith and adapted to feed an article over said work-table, means adapted to actuate said belt, an ironing device movably mounted above said work-table, a water receptacle connected to said ironing devlce and movable therewith, a moistening wheel connected to said water receptacle and movable therewith, wick means connecting said moistening wheel to said water receptacle, a parallel motion device adapted to raise and lower the, said ironing device and lts associated parts, a tension spring associated with said parallel motion device, and having its upper wardly directed arm connected to said parallel motion device, said tension spring being adapted to downwardly force said ironing device in one of its positions and being adapted to hold said ironing device above said work-table in another position thereof, and additional mechanism adapted to downwardly press the ironing device upon the worktable.

6. In an ironing machine, a work-table, an endless belt associated therewith and adapted to feed an article over said worktable, means adapted to actuate said belt, an ironing device movably mounted above said work-table, water receptacle connected to said ironing device and movable therewith, a moistening wheel connected to said water receptacle and movable therewith, wick means connecting said moistening wheel to said water receptacle, a parallel motion device adapted toraise and lower the said ironing device and its associated parts, a tension spring associated with said parallel motion device, and having its upper end connected to an upwardly directed arm connected to said parallel motion device, said tension spring end connected to an upbeing adapted to downwardly force said ironing device in one of its positions and being adapted to hold said ironing device above said work-table in another position thereof, and additional mechanism adapted to downwardly press the ironing device upon the worktable, said additional mechanism being operable by a treadle and the means for actuating said belt being controllable by a second treadle adjacent to the first mentioned treadle.

7 In an ironing' machine, a work-table having a Work-plate at the Work-plate having a recess in its top surface, and an endless feeding device having an upper run located in and adapted to move in the recess of said work-plate, and a vertically movable pressing device located above the recess of said Work-plate, said pressing device being Wider than said recess, so that said pressing device extends laterally beyond said recess.

\ In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

NICHOLAS TROISI.

top thereof, said 

